Looking Sideways: 10 Things
Here are the things I've been into this week.
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1. This week’s Open Thread with Natural Selection organiser Liam Griffin was great. As ever, the LS community had some fascinating and thought-provoking queries for Liam - catch up on the thread here. And congratulations to reader/listener Markle, who won the paid subscriber comp and will soon be the proud owner of a special set of exclusive Yeti x Natural Selection memorabilia. Catch up here.
2. Brighton represent! I had to share this film featuring local Brighton legends Tim and Rich Ellman-Brown having it in Portugal on a recent Boardshop trip.
3. Absolutely loved Alex Gibney’s latest documentary about the rise and fall of Boris Becker. Watch the trailer above; the series is on Apple TV.
4. Somehow I missed Patti Smith’s exquisite New Yorker tribute to her friend Tom Verlaine. A beautiful, tear-jerker of a eulogy from one artistic giant to another.
5. This interview with Alice in Solo Skate Mag is refreshingly honest, and seems to have ruffled a few feathers if these BTL comments are anything to by.
6. ‘The surf movie is more than a format. It’s a message’. An interesting and timely piece on how the surf film is the perfect vehicle for modern activism.
7. You just can’t beat the BBC for stuff like this - an hour-long documentary on how radical Scottish play The Cheviot helped shape the country’s view of itself. I found it fascinating. (Related: this episode of In Our Time about the Highland Clearances).
8. I’m still gutted about David Crosby. If I Could Only Remember My Name is one of my favourite ever records, and for me he was one of the most original and vital musicians of the past 60 years. So I was glad to stumble across this brilliant tribute to Croz by his long-time friend Steve Silberman. Silberman and Crosby also collaborated on a brilliant podcast series a few years back which is also well worth a gander.
9. I’m a big fan of this new initiative from my pal Fran Turauskis, a tireless supporter of the outdoor podcast community. Fran’s new Outdoor Podcast Club offers monthly themed events and workshops for podcasters to learn and network. Find out more here.
10. Finally, a question - does surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding need another panel discussion show? It’s something I’ve been chatting about with a couple of friends recently. A monthly special with a different panel, in which we discuss things that have interested us in the last few weeks? Could be a good paid subscriber bonus. Anyway, here’s a poll, so let me know what you think.
Thanks for the reminder about Patti Smith on Tom Verlaine! Marquee Moon was the first album I ever heard that totally bowled me over on the very first listen... And it still sounds great today.
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